Conspiracy Theory Page #6

Jerry is being blocked by three FEDERAL COPS.

COP# 1

You don't leave now, you're under

arrest.

As Jerry spots her....

JERRY:

Liza! This is it. They just

tried to kill me! I don't know

what I know, but it's big!

They tangle him up, a few feet from his destination.

Liza can see that something, real or imagined, has

happened.

In the struggle, Jerry wrenches free, taking one of the

Cops' .45s with him. He waves them off with it.

JERRY:

Get back!

Everyone freezes. Stand-off city.

LIZA:

Easy, Jerry. Easy.

(realizes)

There's blood on your shirt.

Indeed, blood is splattered across his chest.

JERRY:

I bit the bastard's nose off.

LIZA:

You bit someone's nose off?

JERRY:

Yes! Don't let's get into this

thing where I have to repeat

myself!

As one of the Cops moves to flank, Jerry aims the gun.

JERRY:

(to Cops)

It's a man without a nose you

want, you dumb complicit sons of

b*tches!

(to Liza)

You've got to listen to me.

LIZA:

Put down the gun and I'll take

your statement. Okay?

JERRY:

You're the boss. Just don't make

me repeat myself. I hate that.

Liza sees blood dripping onto Jerry's shoe. She looks to

where he clutches his side, blood oozing out. To his

face.

LIZA:

Jerry, you're bleeding.

Jerry takes his hand from his side, looks at the blood.

JERRY:

I didn't even feel it till a few

minutes ago.

As Jerry's distracted, one of the Cops moves in. He

forces Jerry's gun hand up while the other two Cops take

him down. Jerry struggles till one jams a thumb into a

pressure point in his neck. Jerry winces, collapses.

JERRY:

Who are they? I don't even know

who they are. But it's on the tip

of my tongue.

And Jerry starts to sob. As Cop one cuffs him.

LIZA:

One of you call an ambulance.

A hesitation before one of them moves to do so. Liza

pushes her way through the other two.

LIZA:

Ease off of him.

They back off a step, keep him covered. Jerry continues

to sob, desolate. And Liza, despite herself, puts an arm

around him, does what she can to comfort. Her life's

never going to be the same.

INT. ROOSEVELT HOSPITAL - WAITING AREA - NIGHT

A definite inner city feel. Liza stands out in her

smart, stylish business suit. She sits in a plastic

chair, tries not to scream into her cell phone.

LIZA:

I need the files tonight. Have

them sent to my apartment. I

don't give a rat's ass what you're

doing! Hello? Damnit!

Phone's dead. Sitting beside Liza, fidgety in the early

stages of withdrawal, is DOLLY, a 20-year-old prostitute.

DOLLY:

Sucks, huh?

Liza doesn't even look over. Dolly holds up a pager.

DOLLY:

You should get one of these. Then

use a pay phone. Cell phones can

be traced.

LIZA:

I'm not doing anything illegal.

Dolly looks her over.

DOLLY:

Yeah. Right.

A bedraggled DOCTOR enters, scans the waiting faces.

DOCTOR:

Who's here for Jerry Fletcher?

LIZA:

(standing)

I am.

The Doctor steps over.

DOCTOR:

He's lucky. Bullet passed clean

through his side, didn't touch

anything vital. He lost some

blood, but he should be fine.

LIZA:

When can I talk to him?

DOCTOR:

They're moving him to the police

ward. Maybe in twenty minutes.

LIZA:

But --

The Doctor's already on his way out. Liza sits back

down.

DOLLY:

You're lucky. I had a boyfriend

get shot in the stomach. Now he

takes a dump through a plastic

tube. I guess that's life, huh?

Liza reaches into her day planner, pulls out a crisp $100

bill, holds it out to Dolly.

LIZA:

It's yours. Just go sit someplace

else.

Dolly looks at her a beat. Plucking the bill from Liza's

fingertips, Dolly gets up and moves.

INT. HOSPITAL - POLICE WARD - HALLWAY - NIGHT

A cop reads the paper at the end of the hall. He barely

looks up as Liza walks down, steps into...

ROOM 322

Liza enters as a NURSE injects a syringeful of

"something" into Jerry's IV. Jerry's strapped to the

bed.

JERRY:

What's that?!

NURSE:

Something to help you sleep.

JERRY:

I don't want to sleep! I want to

be checked out!

LIZA:

You're under arrest.

Jerry looks over at Liza as the Nurse exits.

JERRY:

What's the charge?

LIZA:

You were there, Jerry. Figure it

out.

He nods. Is quiet a moment.

LIZA:

If you could remember who shot you

and where it happened, it might

help.

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